David Zezza
Managing Partner

David Zezza is a founding member of the firm and is involved with the group’s activities in the US, Europe, and Asia.

Mr Zezza co-founded PAC in 2010 after his time at Citadel Investment Group based in Chicago and London, where as a Senior Managing Director he oversaw the firm’s Global Rates and Emerging Markets businesses. Prior to Citadel, Mr Zezza was with Deutsche Bank in London, Hong Kong, and Singapore where he was a member of the Management Committee and Global Head of Emerging Markets for the firm. Prior to Deutsche Bank, Mr Zezza spent 10 years at Salomon Brothers in the US and Asia.

Mr Zezza is a member of the UK Board of Trustees for the Global Fund for Children. He also serves on the Board of Advisors of the Sanford School at Duke University.

Mr Zezza received an AB from Duke University in Economics and Public Policy Studies, graduating Magna Cum Laude.

Joe Draper
Managing Partner

Joseph Draper co founded PAC Partners with David Zezza in 2010 and is a co-managing partner. He was based in Asia for PAC until late 2013, then relocating to Connecticut. In total he lived in Hong Kong and Tokyo for 23 years.

Mr Draper spent 22 years at Citigroup/Salomon Brothers. The last 11 years, ending 2009, were spent as the head of Asia, and then Global Co-head, of the Special Situations group. He inaugurated and headed proprietary investing of alternative products by Citigroup Global Markets in Asia including private equity, real estate and distressed debt and assets.

Joseph graduated from Fairfield University with B.S. in Finance in 1987. He is the Chairman of Ice Energy and a board member of Verde Energy. He is on the Advisory Boards for Immaculate High School in Danbury CT and St Thomas Aquinas Elementary School in Fairfield, CT.

He is married to Mieko with four young children.

Kent Kurtz
Partner

Prior to Pacific Advantage Capital, Kent Kurtz was a managing partner of the advisor Mount One Capital and one of the principal portfolio managers of the fund. Mr. Kurtz was Managing Director and regional business head for HSBC’s US credit trading from 2007-2012. Prior to HSBC, Mr. Kurtz was Managing Director and head of equity volatility trading for seven years at Nomura Securities International in New York. Prior to that, Mr. Kurtz had an eleven year career at Deutsche Bank/Bankers Trust in multiple roles; as co-head of European equity derivative trading, deputy head of fixed-income derivative trading in New York and fixed income derivative trading in Tokyo. Mr. Kurtz started his Wall Street career at Bear Stearns in the mortgage conduit department. Mr. Kurtz holds a BS degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Diane Stewart
Legal Director - External

Ms. Stewart is an experienced corporate and M&A attorney. She began her legal career in 1988 with LA-based Sheppard Mullin Richter and Hampton before joining the international law firm of Coudert Brothers and practicing as attorney and partner in their San Francisco, New York, Hong Kong and Singapore offices. She then transitioned from practicing law to directing the Asian M&A activities of the Norwegian telecom Telenor. From 2004 and prior to joining PAC in 2014 she managed a family office with a focus on real property development and established her own international legal practice.

Ms. Stewart serves on the Advisory Board of Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and is a UK Trustee of PILnet: The Global Network for Public Interest Law.

Ms. Stewart received her AB in English from Stanford University and her JD from the University of California, Berkeley Law School. She is admitted to the bars of California and New York and has qualified (but not presently practicing) as a solicitor in England and Wales.

Alex Collins
Vice-President

Prior to PAC, Alex Collins was an investment analyst for AIM Capital Management in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. He received his B.S. from Boston College, Carroll School of Management with concentrations in finance and marketing.

Grant Guenther
Vice-President

Prior to PAC, Grant worked in management consulting for PA Consulting Group in New York City and London. He received his AB in Public Policy Studies with a minor in Economics from Duke University.